May 2009

May 29, 2009

Today I gave into a total impulse buy! These sandals really wanted to come home with me. I knew that I should of stayed away from that cute lil' store, Nordies... You see before my daughter I lived in heels (I've mentioned this at leastonce before)...

Last summer I was still buying heels. When I bought a pair of wedges (a sensible heel) for "summer" but left them in Arizona while I went to New York for the summerI could lie no more. Two years after having my daughter I now accept I am not allowed to buy any more heels, for at least a few years. She is the only one wearing them at this point any way.

That's why when I saw these shoes I had to get them (am I still rationalizing?). Generally shopping for summer shoes is not enjoyable for me, I imagine, every shoe is making me look shorter and more boring. This sandal on the other hand is sensible (yuk) but fun, something worth looking at. In addition it will work with many looks, lots of fun shoes aren't very flexible in that way.

I've been wearing them around the house (in my pajamas) trying to decide if they are staying. Whether they stay or go I know, "this years hot" heels will not replace them. For now I am putting my heels down.

May 28, 2009

I take photos daily, usually 50 to 250. The lower just at home and the higher at a photography session or special trip... I am usually very excited to come home and view the photos on the computer, the camera screen is just so small. And every time I come home and look thru them I'm usually disappointed. I'm very critical of my photos, always feeling I could have done a better job.

What I have now learned to do is to upload the photos take a quick glance and then walk away for at least a day (and then talk to myself all day about the photos with a lot of, "if only I had or why didn't I")... When I look at them again I am able to see the good photos and not beat myself up (as much) on the not so good photos...

It's pretty much a rule of thumb it takes ten photos to get one good one. I know this but I think the problem some times I'm not able to capture what I "see", in the photo. There are times when I think I got the shot and then I come home and realize I didn't. But then failing to realize I got one I didn't expect to be a good shot. I've also learned to not go thru and delete the ones I think are bad right away, if ever. Usually time helps to see my own work with clearer eyes.

The photo above is from a trip months ago. I just went back thru to see if I missed any. I found this photo. And I love it, I love that you can't tell where the ocean ends and the sky begins, I love the two of them playing and the blue, blue color.

Doing photography as a business is difficult, any hobby turned profession is, you can't just jump in and pray it all works out. Well you can but you won't be in business long... I'm still learning a lot and I still make mistakes. But it's forced me to push myself to be better, to learn more and to work hard. I just hope there comes a day when I have not question in the quality of my work. Or I can at least view them with the same eyes I view other photographers. That's not too much to ask, right? Does Annie Lebowitz still question her work?

May 27, 2009

This is my big brother Tommy (apparently he is now going by Tom but I'm not going for it). Growing up Tommy participated in all sorts of sports and always performed well. In high school I was a cheerleader and ran track (at least one year of H.S) but that was it.

Once I got older and more aware of my body (I was heavier in H.S but thought I was skinny, ahh blissfully ignorant). I started working out more and it become apart of my life and identity. Before I had Presley I was in the best shape of my life. I had made a goal that I wanted to look better at 30 then I did at 20 yrs. Goal accomplished... Fast forward 2.2 yrs. later...

Despite not working out nearly as hard or as regularly as I had before having Presley I maintained my weights. But one thing I have noticed is my energy, my happiness and my body tone all stinks...

Enter CrossfitWorkout! My brother Tommy is a certifiedCrossfit trainer. I signed up at his gym and now pay him to kick my arse 3 times a week (up to 6 times if I can find the time)... For my first workout he told he push yourself but just don't throw up, that should of been my first warning sign (missed it).

I didn't finish the workout because I did think that I was going to throw up... And I really enjoyed it. I love being pushed rather then babied and I love team/group workouts. I really feel that Crossfit is a good fit for me.

I'm leaving for the summer but the gym site has daily workouts posted on the blog so I'm hoping to workout on my own over the summer. I will keep you posted on my progress. I, like Michelle Obama want the right to bare arms (taken from a Pres. Obama's 100 days in office speech).

May 26, 2009

Oh my I have been off the blog for awhile! I really wish I had taken my computer with me on this holiday getaway. We had a great time with more then 400 photos to document it. I actually would of had more but, I didn't take a backup memory card and my card was full!

Here are a few of the photos I took. Presley loves the water but I think she might like the sand more. We spent tons of time playing in the sand. She found crabs and dug for hidden treasure... She has a horrible habit of eating sand too. I'm hoping that stage doesn't last long.

May 20, 2009

Have I mentioned it's hot here? Sorry I don't want to be a complainer but it's 10 degrees above normal and normal is 95 degrees... With the heat I've tried to be creative with our activities, for my sanity. Today I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out but once again it was a success.

Presley and I went to Cabela's, it's a sports shop, a huge sports shop. I highly recommend it for a beat the heat activity with your kids. The store has a two story wildlife scene. The animals are all real stuffed animals. They have everything from a polar bear, an elephant, a zebra, snakes and tons more. There are several different scenes and two levels. Presley was afraid at first but by the end she was pretending to feed the animals. Except for the elephant, she covered her eyes- he was so big... There is also an aquarium tunnel (you know the kind you walk thru). The fish there are not every exciting (bass, catfish and turtles) but Presley loved being that close to so many fish... Today was our first trip. If I could do it again I would go a little before lunch, they have a cafe there. Have lunch, tour the store and the wild life scenes. It's a 20 minute drive for us so I wanted to stay while. Today we where there about 1:15 minutes. It was a big enough place that I didn't get bored.

They did have a toy shooting range, something older kids would enjoy. There was a charge, not sure how much (said 2 tokens I'm guessing $.50) Presley was too afraid to go in. It was a bit dark. They do have a friday night movie night that might be fun. This weeks movie is Bug's Life. Blankets and pillows are recommended and snacks are provided...

Since I had never been to a Cabela's I took a little tour of the clothes. For the most part not bad the camouflage swimwear was a bit much for me. They did have a cute camo binki and baby bottle.

May 19, 2009

This yummy recipe was given to me by my friend Meghan. I can always count on coming home with a wonderful tip after a weekend with her and her family. Everyone I have made this for has asked for the recipe... I have doctored the recipe a bit myself. The recipe calls for toasting the almonds and sesames seeds, I just skip the toasting (too lazy) and I don't add the salt or pepper, guests can salt to taste at table. If I can get away without using salt I do. I've had the recipe for a year now and I started to add (baked and chopped) chicken to the salad. I also added the Chia seeds to the recipe they add a great crunch and they are a super food!

The Chia seed is tasteless therefore we put them on everything, pizza, fruit, cereal and salads. They do add some crunch but that's about it. My daughter will just pour them and eat them plain, a bit of a mess but better then a pixie stick. Health wise they are amazing, move over flax seed! The chia seed has omega 3 and 6 oils. It's easily digestible so you don't need to grind it like the flax seed, it's a hydrophilic (absorbs more then 10 times it's size of water) so when you drink water it holds it in your body longer and it has antioxidant qualities. They are really small but hey we're being positive people! Click on Chia Seed link to read more.

You can buy the chia seed at most health food stores... Note don't eat your Chia Pet after reading, those seeds are not meant for human consumption.

May 18, 2009

Being a Mom is different then I ever expected. I don't think anyone really tried to explain what it's really like being a mother. Most of what I heard was it's hard and the best thing you'll ever do... I'm not sure why this was never explained or talked about more. But I assume it's a different experience for everyone.

When I was pregnant with Presley I thought that the love I would have for her would grow over time. The more I got to know her the more I would love her. That's how pretty much all the relationships have been in my life. I was even worried I would resent her for my changing body and loss of freedom (even though I "thought" I was ready). But once I heard her cry while she was delivered my heart was 100 percent hers and none of that stuff mattered.

I'm lucky enough to be a stay at home mom. Being with her and knowing every little noise and attempt at a word is the perfect job for me. Now that Presley is two, communicating more and she's becoming more independent, allowing me a few of the things I had to give up got me thinking.

Just about all the friends I have with kids have had planned pregnancies. Most of my friends are all in their late 20's or 30's. I feel like we were the most prepared we could have been. All of us were prepared for some sacrifices.

What I wasn't prepared for was taking four hours to leave the house and then once I do leave not remembering if I brushed my teeth (I hope that's not only me). There are so many little things that I didn't realize I would have to give up in this deal. It's more comical then anything else, (now that I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel)... I didn't know that my wardrobe would be so greatly effected. I don't have outfits anymore, I have stained and old (compared to pre baby) clothes that I wear with flats- I never wore flats. I use to joke that I could play around of golf in heels (I'm 5 foot 3). My feet actually hurt if I wore flats before Presley. I didn't use to wear shorts either, I thought shorts were for girls, women do not wear shorts... Now I know women with kids wear shorts!

Having a child changes you, what I don't know yet is if I will go back to the person (in part) that I was before... Will I stop wearing shorts?

May 17, 2009

Oh no, how do I always get myself into trouble? I'm announcing I'm going to "attempting" to teach myself to draw! Yes, I have a feeling it's a statement I'm going to regret in the morning (sort of like that shot you order when the bartender announces last call)...

But I have heard that it's a great way to help with photography composition. I'm always looking for ways to change and improve my photography. Plus Presley does like painting "pinking", coloring and drawing, this will now give me something else to do "with" her.

I've never taken a drawing class in my life. I do have a recollection of my study abroad program in Italy. One of our assignments was to draw one of the churches we were visiting while we had lunch on the lawn... My friend in this class happened to be a beautiful artist. I still remember her expression as I showed her my drawing and she didn't know what to say. I do remember her just nodding her head. It was pretty funny...

I do plan on going to the library and checking out a few books to get some direction. I will keep you posted...

...Below is a photo of Presley from swimming today. I just loved the photo, her big dark eyes... She's got a mouth full of carrots.

May 15, 2009

May 13, 2009

I love white clothes on me and my daughter. I know kids are suppose to be in bright colorful clothes but I can't help but love white on my lil' Teddy Bear. There is just something about a beautiful crisp white shirt (or pants, or dress or shorts- you get my drift)...

Ok so how do you keep them clean? I wanted to stay away from bleach and other chemicals. But really what else is there? Well would you believe my Grandmother (Ruth the Great) had the simple answer? Yeah, not hard to believe right.

To clean white clothes from stains ranging from red wine, grass or highlighter use vinegar and water! Make a mixture in a bottle two parts water to one part vinegar. Spray the stained clothing and then set in sun, that's it! I have used this mixture on everything from hard water stains in my shower/commode (I keep a bottle in the shower) to stains on my cutting board (white plastic), my table linens and pretty much anything white!

Presley had on this beautiful white outfit for lunch at the Farm. That morning she spent some time at her Dad's office and came back with a stain from an orange highlighter (ehh emm) then later got a grass stain on her knee at lunch... We got home I put the pants aside and meant to treat them with my "Super Duper Cleaner" (vinegar and h2O)... Four days later I finally treated them and then placed them in the sun, and the stains are gone... The simple pleasures I tell you simple pleasures.